Latest news with #SaeedShah
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How India and Pakistan pulled back from the brink with U.S.-brokered ceasefire
By Saeed Shah, Asif Shahzad, Shivam Patel and Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - At 2.09 am on Saturday, Ahmad Subhan, who lives near an air base in the Pakistan military garrison city of Rawalpindi, heard the first explosion that rattled the windows of his house - and took South Asia to the brink of war. As dawn broke, the heaviest fighting in decades between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan reached a crescendo, after nearly three weeks of escalating tensions. Fighter jets and missiles crisscrossed the skies of one of the world's most populated regions. Pakistani officials said they would convene an emergency meeting of their top nuclear decision-making body. The critical eight-hour window also saw Indian missile barrages on three major Pakistan air bases and other facilities, including Nur Khan, which is ringed by civilian homes like Subhan's, and just a 20-minute drive to the capital, Islamabad. After the initial blast, Subhan and his wife grabbed their three children and ran out of their home. "We were just figuring out what had happened when there was another explosion," said the retired government employee, who remembered the precise time of the strike because he was just about to make a call. This account of Saturday's events - which began with the looming specter of a full-blown war and ended with an evening cease-fire announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump - is based on interviews with 14 people, including U.S., Indian and Pakistani officials, as well as Reuters' review of public statements from the three capitals. They described the rapid escalation of hostilities as well as behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the U.S., India and Pakistan, and underscore the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. The attack on Nur Khan air base saw at least two missile strikes as well as drone attacks, according to Subhan and two Pakistani security officials, who like some of the people interviewed by Reuters, spoke on condition of anonymity. The barrage took out two roofs and hit the hangar of a refuelling plane, which was airborne at the time, according to one of the officials, who visited the base the next day. A senior Indian military officer, however, told reporters on Sunday that an operation command center at Nur Khan had been hit. "The attack on Nur Khan... close to our capital, that left us with no option but to retaliate," Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Reuters. Nur Khan is located just over a mile from the military-run body responsible for Pakistan's nuclear planning. So, an attack on the facility may have been perceived as more dangerous than India intended - and the two sides shouldn't conclude that it is possible to have a conflict without it going nuclear, said Christopher Clary, an associate professor at the University at Albany in New York. "If you are playing Russian roulette and pull the trigger, the lesson isn't that you should pull the trigger again," said Clary. India's defense and foreign ministries, as well as Pakistan's military and its foreign ministry, did not immediately answer written questions submitted by Reuters. A U.S. State Department spokesperson did not directly respond to questions from Reuters about the American role, but said that further military escalation posed a serious threat to regional stability. VANCE CALLS MODI India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and been at loggerheads since their independence. The spark for the latest chaos was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. It was the latest of many disputes involving Kashmir, a Himalayan territory ravaged by an anti-India insurgency since the late 1980s. Both New Delhi and Islamabad claim the region in full but only control parts of it. Hindu-majority India has accused its Muslim-majority neighbor of arming and backing militant groups operating in Kashmir, but Pakistan maintains it only provides diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists. After a go-ahead from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian military on May 7 carried out air strikes on what it called "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan, in response to the April attack in Kashmir. In air battles that followed, Pakistan said it shot down five Indian aircraft, including prized Rafale planes New Delhi recently acquired from France. India has indicated that it suffered losses and inflicted some of its own. Senior U.S. officials became seriously concerned by Friday, May 9 that the conflict was at risk of spiralling out of control, according to two sources familiar with the matter. That evening, Modi took a call from Vice President J.D. Vance, who presented a potential off-ramp to the Indian prime minister that he described as a path the Pakistanis would also be amenable to, the people said. Vance's intervention came despite him saying publicly on Thursday that the U.S. was "not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business." The sources didn't provide specifics but said that Modi was non-committal. One of the people also said that Modi told Vance, who had been visiting India during the Kashmir attack, that any Pakistani escalation would be met by an even more forceful response. Hours later, according to Indian officials, that escalation came: Pakistan launched attacks on at least 26 locations in India in the early hours of May 10. Pakistan said their strikes occurred only after the pre-dawn Indian attack on its air bases, including Nur Khan. NUCLEAR SIGNALS A little over an hour after that Indian attack began, Pakistan military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed Indian strikes on three air bases. Some Indian strikes on Saturday, May 10 also utilized the supersonic BrahMos missile, according to a Pakistani official and an Indian source. Pakistan believes the BrahMos is nuclear-capable, though India says it carries a conventional warhead. By 5 a.m. local time on Saturday, Pakistan's military announced it had launched operations against Indian air bases and other facilities. About two hours later, Pakistani officials told journalists that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called a meeting of the National Command Authority, which oversees the nuclear arsenal. Dar told Reuters on Tuesday that any international alarm was overblown: "There was no such concern. There should not be. We are a responsible nation." But signalling an intention to convene NCA reflected how much the crisis had escalated and "may also have been an indirect call for external mediation," said Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia expert. About an hour after the NCA announcement, the U.S. said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken to Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir - widely regarded as the most powerful man in that country - and was pushing both sides to de-escalate. Rubio also soon got on the phone with Dar and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. "Rubio said that Indians were ready to stop," Dar told Reuters. "I said if they are ready to stop, ask them to stop, we will stop." An Indian official with knowledge of Rubio's call with Jaishankar said that Rubio passed on a message that the Pakistanis were willing to stop firing if India would also cease. 'GREAT INTELLIGENCE' Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who only days earlier warned of conflict, dialled into a local TV news channel at around 10:30 am on Saturday. Two-and-a-half hours after Pakistani officials shared news of the NCA meeting, Asif declared that no such event had been scheduled, putting a lid on the matter. The international intervention anchored by Rubio paved the way to a cessation of hostilities formalized in a mid-afternoon phone call between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan. The two spoke again on Monday. Pakistan Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said in a briefing that New Delhi had initially requested a call between the DGMOs after the Indian military's May 7 strikes across the border. Islamabad only responded to the request on Saturday, following its retaliation and requests from international interlocutors, according to Chaudhry, who did not name the countries. Almost exactly 12 hours after Pakistan said it had launched retaliatory strikes against India for hitting three key air bases, Trump declared on social media there would be a cessation of hostilities. "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence," he said.
Ya Libnan
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Pakistan's jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft, Reuters
China's J-10 fighter jets from the People's Liberation Army Air Force August 1st Aerobatics Team perform during a media demonstration at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo By Saeed Shah and Idrees Ali ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON – A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two U.S. officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing's advanced fighter jet. An Indian Air Force spokesperson said he had no comment when asked about the Reuters report. The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched in Washington for insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets – bringing down at least two. Another official said at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft. Both officials said Pakistan's F-16 aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin , were not used in the shootdown. Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead said it carried out successful strikes against what it said was 'terrorist' infrastructure inside Pakistan. World powers from the U.S. to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world's most dangerous and most populated nuclear flashpoint regions . In France, Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the MBDA , , consortium, which makes the Meteor air-to-air missile, could not immediately be reached for comment on a public holiday. While Reuters reported on Wednesday that three Indian planes went down, citing local government officials in India, this marks the first Western confirmation that Pakistan's Chinese-made jets were used in the shootdowns. Pakistan's Defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Reuters on Thursday that the J-10 was used to shoot down three French-made Rafale planes, which were newly acquired by India. Altogether, Pakistan says it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat . CLOSELY EYING The Rafale and the model of the J-10 used by Pakistan are both considered generation 4.5 fighter jets, placing them at the leading edge of combat aircraft. Western analysts and defense industry sources said the live use of some of the advanced weapons that could be deployed in future major power conflicts would be scrutinized in minute detail, but emphasized it was too early to draw firm conclusions. 'Air warfare communities in China, the U.S. and a number of European countries will be extremely interested to try and get as much ground truth as they can on tactics, techniques, procedures, what kit was used, what worked and what didn't,' said Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Social media posts highlighted the face-off between China's PL-15 air-to-air missile against the Meteor, produced by European missile group MBDA But the analysts and sources said crucial details were unclear, including whether Meteors were carried or how they may have been deployed. 'At the moment, it's not possible to judge anything. We know so little,' a Western defense industry source said. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three major wars, as well as numerous smaller conflicts. Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir late on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspected was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the neighbors. Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight, while India said its air defenses had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets. (Reuters)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Seven Pakistan army soldiers killed in blast in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Seven Pakistan army soldiers were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan's military said in a statement. (Reporting by Saeed Shah, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by YP Rajesh)
Reuters
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Seven Pakistan army soldiers killed in blast in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Reuters) - Seven Pakistan army soldiers were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan's military said in a statement. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. Reporting by Saeed Shah, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by YP Rajesh Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Share X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Analysis-With militaries upgraded, risks multiply in any potential India-Pakistan conflict
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and Pakistan have significantly upgraded their military capabilities since the nuclear-armed neighbours clashed in 2019, posing increased risks of escalation even in a limited conflict, former military officers and experts say. Pakistan says India plans a military incursion after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on domestic tourists in Indian Kashmir last month. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish the backers of the attack "beyond their imagination". Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack but has warned it will hit back if it is targeted. In 2019, India carried out air strikes inside Pakistan after the bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir and said it destroyed "terrorist camps". Pakistani jets conducted a retaliatory air strike and shot down an Indian aircraft during actions spread over two days. The neighbours have fought three wars - in 1948, 1965 and 1971 - and clashed countless times since gaining independence, mostly over the Kashmir region which both claim. Both acquired nuclear weapons in the 1990s and Kashmir is considered one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world. Military experts say neither side will consider nuclear weapons unless pushed to the wall, but even a limited conflict would carry high risks of escalation. They say such a conflict is likely to involve aircraft, missiles or drones, where India and Pakistan are considered closely matched, although India's far greater resources would come into play over a longer period. "Decision makers in both states now have a higher risk appetite for conflict initiation and escalation than prior to 2019," said Frank O'Donnell, a non-resident fellow at the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a think-tank in Washington, as they had managed then to clash without nuclear weapons being used. "But without a clear mutual sense of the precise actions, that could trigger inadvertent escalation," he added. Both sides have acquired new military hardware since 2019, opening up new conventional strike options. "Each side will think they are in a better position than last time," said Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia security researcher based at the University of Technology, Sydney. "It is only when we see actual combat that we will find out." In particular, India believes that it was at a disadvantage in 2019 because it had to rely mainly on ageing Russian jets. It has since inducted 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets, a top Western aircraft, with more on order for its navy. To counter, Pakistan got one of China's most advanced war planes, the J-10, a rough equivalent of the Rafale, in batches since 2022. It has at least 20 of the aircraft, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. The planes carry advanced capabilities, with the Rafale armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles that operate beyond visual range. The J-10 is armed with the comparable PL-15 missile, according to a Pakistani security official who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to brief the media. To plug the gaps in air defences exposed on both sides in the 2019 conflict, India secured Russia's battle-tested S-400, a mobile anti-aircraft missile system. Pakistan obtained the HQ-9 from China, which is based on Russia's S-300, one notch down. 'CLAMOUR FOR ACTION' "Most certainly in some respects we are better off (than 2019)," said Anil Golani, a former air vice marshal in the Indian Air Force, and the director general of the Delhi-based Centre for Air Power Studies think tank. "There's a lot of clamour for action in the country but, in my personal assessment, both India and Pakistan are not looking for an all-out conflict," he added. Hanging over any conflict is China, India's rival and Pakistan's close ally and biggest supplier of military equipment. Although the U.S. has urged India and Pakistan to ease tensions, it will closely watch any conflict for insights on Beijing's aerial strength. The Chinese plane and its PL-15 missile have not previously been tested in combat. "It could be a contest between Western and Chinese technology," said Faisal, adding "for India, there is the dilemma of how many air squadrons to commit to the Pakistan front, as it must also guard against China." China and India fought a brief border war in 1962 and the two armies have clashed, most recently in 2022, along their tense Himalayan frontier. Pakistan has a fleet of F-16s, the U.S. aircraft acquired decades back when ties with Washington were stronger. These F-16s were deployed in the 2019 tussle, leading India to lodge protests with the U.S., although New Delhi now enjoys far closer ties with Washington. This time, to avoid the political fallout with the F-16 and to take advantage of having a more advanced aircraft, Pakistan will likely spearhead with the Chinese J-10, experts said. But a drone or ground-launched missile strike is considered more likely since neither would risk a pilot being shot down. India has turned to Israel for combat-capable drones, getting the Heron Mark 2, and it has U.S. Predator drones on order. Pakistan has acquired Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 - used by Ukraine in its war with Russia - and the Akinci, also from Turkey, according to the Pakistani security official. Amid the standoff, Pakistan tested a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 450 km (280 miles) on Saturday, to show that the armed forces were ready to "safeguard national security against any aggression," according to a statement from the country's military. Pakistan also has a range of short-range and medium-range missiles, capable of being fired from ground, sea and air. There was no immediate comment from India on the test. India's capabilities include the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile of about 300 km range as well the Agni series of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 2019 skirmish almost spiralled out of control, with multiple missile strikes threatened before U.S. intervention calmed the situation down. Kaiser Tufail, a former fighter pilot in the Pakistani air force, said that India did not manage to establish deterrence in 2019, so it would aim for a more incisive strike this time, bringing more risks in its wake. Modi said following the 2019 skirmishes that the country had felt the lack of Rafale fighters at the time, which were on order, and suggested that the results of the clash could have been different if it had the French fighter. "If you go beyond what we saw in 2019, it is very risky," said Tufail. "Nuclear-armed countries slugging it out is extremely dangerous."
